Alex Sharpe
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Alexandria Sharpe (born 4 May 1971) is an Irish
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261  Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
singer and actress mostly known for her live roles in London's West End and on the Irish stage (both the Olympia and Gaiety Theatres). In the United States she is best known as one of the former members of
Celtic Woman Celtic Woman is an all-female Irish musical ensemble conceived and created by David Kavanagh, Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show ''Riverdance.'' In 2004, Downes recruited five Irish female music ...
from 2008 to 2010.


Career

She began her career at 1991 by portraying Dorothy in '' The Wizard of Oz'' at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin.Alex Sharpe bio
, CelticWoman.com; accessed 11 June 2017.
Her career in musical theatre continued, as she played Janet in ''
The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple ...
'', Young Sally in '' Follies in Concert'', Jenny in ''
Aspects of Love ''Aspects of Love'' is a musical with music and book by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart. It is based on the 1955 novella of the same name by David Garnett. The piece focuses on the romantic entanglements of actr ...
'', and Mila in ''Aloha Kamano'' by Sean Purcell. She was asked to play
Éponine Éponine Thénardier (; ), also referred to as the "Jondrette girl", is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo. The character is introduced as a spoiled and pampered child, but appears later in the novel as a r ...
in ''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' for the Cameron Mackintosh Company in the UK and Ireland and in the Concert Tour of ''Les Misérables''. She created the role of Bernadette in the
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...
/
Ben Elton Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959) is an English comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. He was a part of London's alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on the sitcoms '' The Young Ones'' and ''Bla ...
Musical ''
The Beautiful Game The Beautiful Game ( pt, o jogo bonito) is a nickname for association football. It was popularised by the Brazilian footballer Pelé, although the exact origin of the phrase is disputed. Stuart Hall, an English football commentator, used it as ...
''. On her return to Ireland she played the role of Kate Foley in ''The Wireman'' in the
Gaiety Theatre, Dublin The Gaiety Theatre is a theatre on South King Street in Dublin, Ireland, off Grafton Street and close to St. Stephen's Green. It specialises in operatic and musical productions, with occasional dramatic shows. History In April 1871, the broth ...
. Alex has sung with the Icelandic Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Danish National Symphony, and the
RTÉ Concert Orchestra The RTÉ Concert Orchestra is one of the two full-time professional radio orchestras in Ireland that are part of RTÉ, the national broadcasting station. Since its formation as the Radio Éireann Light Orchestra in 1948, the RTÉ Concert Orchestr ...
. She has appeared on several recordings, such as on the ''
Evita Evita may refer to: Arts * Evita (1996 film), ''Evita'' (1996 film), a 1996 American musical drama film based on the 1976 concept album of the same name * Evita (2008 film), ''Evita'' (2008 film), a documentary about Eva PĂ©ron * Evita (album), ''E ...
'' film Soundtrack with
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
. She has appeared at
The Prince's Trust The Prince's Trust ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth y Tywysog) is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11-to-30-year-olds who are u ...
concert in the
Mayflower Theatre Mayflower Theatre (formerly the Gaumont Theatre and originally The Empire Theatre) is a Grade II listed theatre in the city centre of Southampton, England, with a capacity of 2,300. It features West End theatre shows when they tour the United Ki ...
, England. In 2006 she travelled to Chicago to launch the musical ''
The Pirate Queen ''The Pirate Queen'' is a musical with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, French lyrics by Alain Boublil and English lyric adaptations by Richard Maltby Jr. and John Dempsey. The French book was written by Boublil and Schönberg and the Engli ...
'' as principal female. She was a featured soloist at ''Andrew Lloyd Webber's 60th birthday celebration'' (2008) with the RTE Orchestra. In 2014 she released her first solo album "Be Still My Soul" produced by Andrew Holdsworth, which is a collection of hymnal and Easy listening classical songs.


Celtic Woman

When founding member of
Celtic Woman Celtic Woman is an all-female Irish musical ensemble conceived and created by David Kavanagh, Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show ''Riverdance.'' In 2004, Downes recruited five Irish female music ...
Lisa Kelly Lisa Kelly (born 7 May 1977) is an Irish singer of both classical and Celtic music and a voice teacher. She has taken part in many musical theatre productions and concerts, and is a founding and former member of the musical group Celtic Woman ...
went on maternity leave, Sharpe became a temporary member of the ensemble in 2008, saying that "I'm just in for this tour," and "It's a different style than I'm used to. But I've enjoyed learning the technique. My background is musical theatre, so this is something very different for me...But my philosophy is, you're always growing as a performer. There's always so much to learn."Jeff Rauscher
"Singer stretches range as Celtic Woman sub"
mlive.com, 10 April 2008.
She admits that before she joined, she was not familiar with the group's music; "I'd never seen any of their shows...David (Downes, composer and music director of Celtic Woman) gave me a CD and some DVDs, and that was the first time I'd seen any of it." However, "I knew about the success of Celtic Woman and was thrilled to join," she said. "It was an opportunity I couldn't say no to." In 2009, Sharpe became a permanent member of Celtic Woman, in effect replacing
Ă“rla Fallon Ă“rlagh Fallon (born 24 August 1974), professionally known as Ă“rla Fallon, is an Irish singer, songwriter and former member of the group Celtic Woman and the chamber choir AnĂşna. Early life and education Fallon was born in Knockananna, Irelan ...
. She has said that "The other members have been really encouraging," and "They have such a history together. I've never been in anything with such a high profile; usually you're much more anonymous." She has toured with the ensemble on their 2009 'Isle of Hope' tour, and has recorded a CD and DVD with the group, both entitled '' Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart,'' released in January 2010. The group toured North America from February to May 2010 on their 'Songs from the Heart' tour. After the tour finished, Sharpe announced she would be leaving Celtic Woman to be with her family full-time. With the group she performed for
President Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
and also at
Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...
. In early 2015 it was announced that she would rejoin Celtic Woman for two months (May and June) of their Tenth Anniversary tour. In 2018
Homecoming – Live from Ireland ''Homecoming – Live from Ireland'' is the first full-length live album and tenth home video release by the group Celtic Woman, released worldwide on 26 January 2018 by Manhattan Records. Background On 20 April 2017, Celtic Woman announced a ...
Tour, Alex Sharpe joined the group
Celtic Woman Celtic Woman is an all-female Irish musical ensemble conceived and created by David Kavanagh, Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show ''Riverdance.'' In 2004, Downes recruited five Irish female music ...
as a temporarily fill in for
Susan McFadden Susan McFadden (born 8 February 1983) is an Irish actress and singer. She is best known for playing the roles of Sandy in '' Grease'' and Elle Woods in ''Legally Blonde the Musical'' in London's West End and being a member of Celtic Woman from ...
who was home for two weeks due to the death of her aunt. Later, McFadden was replaced by
Megan Walsh Megan Ruby Walsh (born 19 February 1997) is an Irish singer who joined the singing group Celtic Woman in 2018. Biography Early life and education Megan Ruby Walsh was born on 19 February 1997. Her middle name "Ruby" comes from her maternal gran ...
in the new album Celtic Woman: Ancient Land


Post-Celtic Woman

On 11 July 2016 it was announced that Sharpe was forming a new group called CaraNua with friend from Celtic Woman days Lynn Hilary. The direct translation of CaraNua is New Friend. It was chosen in part because it, not so commonly, sounds the same whether Irish or English letter sounds are used. The all Irish trio initially included
Lynn Hilary Lynn Hilary (born 21 April 1982) is an Irish singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She has also performed as a featured soprano soloist in the all-female ensemble Celtic Woman. Career Hilary was born in Dublin, Ireland, and completed a Bachel ...
and Edel Chan Murphy, both former singers of Celtic Woman and Riverdance. This trio made the album Favorite Hymns with Jason Tonioli, and the singles A Million Dreams (a cover from the award-winning soundtrack of The Greatest Showman), and Remember Me (a cover of the Oscar winning song from the movie Coco). Murphy's departure prompted the arrival of Lisa Nolan. In 2017 Sharpe provided the vocal, in modern Irish Gaelic, for the traditional hymn Be Thou My Vision on Camille Nelson's, mainly instrumental, album "Lead Me Home." The album won the 2018 IMEA award for Christian/Gospel Album of the Year, and Be Thou My Vision was nominated for Christian/Gospel Song of the Year. In 2019 Sharpe again collaborated with Nelson on a cover of the Oscar winning Song into the West from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.


Personal life

Sharpe is the middle child and has two brothers. When asked where she developed her musical talent, she has said that "my granddad was a great one for singing songs and banging out tunes on the piano." Sharpe is a member of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
. She said, "I love 'Abide With Me' and 'I Know That My Redeemer Lives'...I love singing hymns. Music is a very powerful thing. I've heard it said that music prepares a man's soul to receive the gospel." Sharpe is mother to a son, Jacob. "When I had my son, he became my passion in life", she said. "I tried to stay home and take work that wouldn't compromise my relationship with my son."


Discography


Solo albums

*''Be Still My Soul'' (2014) *''Broken by Design'' EP (February 2020)


Singles

*"Audition for a Charming Clown" (2014) *"Wedding Song" (June 2019)


With CaraNua


Albums

*''Favorite Hymns'' (November 2017) *''Evermore Park Vol. 1: The Soundtrack of Magical Lore'' (September 2018) *''Evermore Park Vol. 2: The Soundtrack of Cursed Lore'' (September 2018) *''Celtic Dreaming'' (2019)


Singles

*"Remember Me/Recuérdame" - lullaby from Coco (Celtic cover) (2018) *"A Million Dreams" (Greatest Showman Cover) (January 2018)


Appearances

*''Sacred Lullabies'' by Camille Nelson *''Lead Me Home'' by Camille Nelson *''Noel: Carols of Christmas Past'' by
Jenny Oaks Baker Jenny Oaks Baker (born Jenny June Oaks; May 27, 1975) is a Grammy nominated American violinist and former member of the National Symphony Orchestra. She has released eighteen studio albums, several of which have topped or nearly topped ''Billboar ...
*''Men? The Musical'' with various artists *'' Songs from the Heart'' (CD & DVD) with
Celtic Woman Celtic Woman is an all-female Irish musical ensemble conceived and created by David Kavanagh, Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show ''Riverdance.'' In 2004, Downes recruited five Irish female music ...
*''The Music of Shaun Purcell'' *''Cu Chulainn Cycle'' by Michael Scott *''
Evita Evita may refer to: Arts * Evita (1996 film), ''Evita'' (1996 film), a 1996 American musical drama film based on the 1976 concept album of the same name * Evita (2008 film), ''Evita'' (2008 film), a documentary about Eva PĂ©ron * Evita (album), ''E ...
'' movie soundtrack *''Disciple'' by
Damian Wilson Damian Wilson (born 11 October 1969) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Wilson works in the progressive metal genre and was the lead singer of Headspace and Threshold. He sang and toured with bands and projects for Star One, Ayreo ...
*''Balor of the Evil Eye'' video game *''
The Beautiful Game The Beautiful Game ( pt, o jogo bonito) is a nickname for association football. It was popularised by the Brazilian footballer Pelé, although the exact origin of the phrase is disputed. Stuart Hall, an English football commentator, used it as ...
'' by
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...
*''Beatlemania'' by West End International


References


External links


Alex Sharpe biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharpe, Alex Irish women singers Celtic Woman members Living people Irish Latter Day Saints Irish musical theatre actresses 1972 births Manhattan Records artists Telstar Records artists